Mineral Wells: The Baker Hotel

i recently went home (Weatherford Tx.) over Christmas to spend Much needed time with the family. After sitting around the house for a day of rest, i decided to take a trip to Mineral Wells to check out a local antique shop, and to get some photos of the Baker Hotel - Both of which were successful stops.

Here is a little rundown about the Town and Hotel:

Originally named "Ednaville" - the town began to be known for the healing properties of it's mineral water wells, one in particular "The Crazy Well" was said to have cured a woman of epilepsy - the town was then renamed "Mineral Wells". The healing mineral water began to draw famous crowds of people, and later a hotel named "The Crazy Hotel" was built over the Crazy well which held much of the outside tourism. The towns people got smart and began to gather together it's own money for a grand hotel/spa for the tourism, and towns much needed financial growth so they called on T.B. Baker, a famous local entrepreneur known for his hotels success during the depression era, in 1925.

The Baker Hotel was inspired by a hotel from Hot Springs Arkansas (which was known for its springs, and baths), and was to have 14 stories of 450 rooms, and Olympic sized pool filled with the mineral water, a changing room under the pool, a full working spa, ceiling fans and air conditioners that turned on and off by the entrance and exit of the room key, 3 ball rooms, a full working spa, valet doors for clothes to be washed, and underground tunnels to the Crazy Hotel, and Parking Garage. The Baker Hotel opened in November 1929 two weeks after the Stock Market Crash, and survived the Great Depression with some pretty top names: Alvin Barkley, Clyde Barrow, Pat Boone, Jack Dempsy, Marlene Dietrich, Dale Evans, Clark Gable, Judy Garland, Samuel Goldwyn, Jean Harlow, Lyndon Johnson, Sammy Kay, Helen Keller, Dorothy Lamour, Dr. Charles Mayo, Gisele Mckinzie, Tom Mix, Clint Murchinson Sr., Bonnie Parker, General John J. Pershing, Sam Rayburn, Will Rodgers, Roy Rogers, Elliot Roosevelt, the Three Stooges, and Sophie Tucker. J. W. Neel, the owner of Maxwell House Coffee was fond of the Baker Hotel.

The Baker Hotel kept alive much through the 50's and finally closed in 1972 due to slim profits. Since then the hotel was rented for weddings, and tours have been given, but has fallen in to much needed repair. there has been talk of the town gathering together to finally get the restoration underway. here is the link....

hope you enjoy the pics..

Photos by: D. Ybarra

NYC: Kykuit

on a hot summer day in 2009 a friend invited me to go up north and see the old Rockefeller mansion Kykuit. we got on the MTA north to Tarrytown - home of the headless horseman. the mansion was built by John D. Rockefeller in 1913 and was home to 4 generations of Rockefeller's in it's prime. The basic tour of the grounds and home, including the art gallery in the cellar, is about 2 hours long - with a staff that is of a very high caliber you will enjoy this place from it's Tiffany stained glass entrance to it's Picasso tapestries. i hope you enjoy the photos i took below.

Nomad: Niagara Falls

when you are stuck in NYC over any holiday, the one thing on your mind is usually, "Get Me Out of Here...". Thanksgiving weekend we were stuck here in the city - we spent Thanksgiving day with friends, and then we decided to rent a car and drive up to Niagara Falls. neither of us had been there, and we thought it would make a wonderful road trip.

we started off on our journey driving through the Catskills and eventually making our way into Niagara. i was a bit surprised to see the casino's there, and the Canadian side looked like a small Vegas. we stayed in a cheap roadside motel (which happened to be one of the cleanest places we've stayed), and started our trek early the next morning. i was surprised to see the American side look so run down, but once we crossed the boarder (you need your passport) the Canadian side was like a breath of fresh air - clean streets, nice people, and it was open to the public - The falls were so much more visible, and breathtaking. hope you enjoy the photos...

Photo 1: American falls (in foreground) shot from American Side

Photo 2: shot from American falls (you can see Canada from this angle)

Photo 3: shot from Canadian Side (those are the American Falls)

Photo 4: shot from Canadian side (these are Canadian falls)

Photo 5: Canadian falls

Photo 6: Canadian falls

Photo 7: this is a shot of Niagara River separating the U.S. (seen on right) & Canada

Photos by: David Y.

Herban: Happy Thanksgiving

Herban Nomad: Merchant's House Museum

Sunday afternoons in NYC are reserved for late afternoon brunching, long walks in the park, or through the endless rows of brownstones. we are big fans of walking through the brownstones, and taking self-guided tours of the many charming, turn of the century homes. there is nothing better to me than a historic home, preserved in it's natural state and walking through it's original owners prized possessions.

there is only one such home here that still exists, "The Merchant's House Museum" - here you will find the original painted walls, decor, and personal items owned by the family. the museum owns several of the original Post-Mortem photographs, which were haunting, along with the family's beds, sofa's, and original drapes. built in 1832, the house is in great condition, and is a wonderful place to visit on a crisp Autumn day.

Photo's by: D. Ybarra

to learn more about the Merchant's House click here

Herban Nomad: Van Cortland House

we live in a loud city, among 8 million neighbors tightly woven into a quilt of traffic, bustling sidewalks, and sleepless streets. when you live in NYC, or any other metropolitan area for that matter, you need to get away to clear your head, listen to your inner voice, or just veg. out with a good book. i have always loved going for long drives, or in our case, a long train ride to a remote part of the city to find a hidden treasure with camera in hand. anywhere in NY you find a quiet spot, you will find a handful of territorial people not willing to budge for a seat on the grass - needless to say, quiet places are few and far between.

when i started at my current job, my boss gave me a book called, "New York’s 50 Best Places to Find Peace and Quiet" and i didn't put it to good use till this summer. the book mentions several spots that are mostly now bustling, but some of the best places are high up in the Bronx far away from the cabs, and tourists.

the site we chose to visit was the Van Cortland House up on the Bronx/Westchester boarder. the house sits quietly in Van Cortland Park and is very well preserved. since the Van Cortland's were in the mercantile business, the house sits close to the Hudson River where ships used to bring in the goods. i took a handful of pic's of the property, and interior - i do hope you get a chance to visit, and find you a quiet place to call your own...

Photos by: D. Ybarra

Herban Body: Dr. Bronner's...

one of the first organic items we purchased was Dr. Bronner's Classic Liquid Castile Soap (in Lavender). initially we were drawn to the packaging but once we used it we were hooked, it created a great lather and we came out of the shower feeling squeaky clean - i am more of a bar soap kind of guy, and luckily they make that product too. once we started using Bronner's we did some research and found out they make several other products including: Hair Rinse, Shaving Creams, Face Wash, Lip Balm, Body Balms, and even Snacks!

The bottle of the Classic Liquid boasts it's 18 uses, which include: Shampoo, Hand Cleaner, laundry Detergent, Face Wash, Bubble Bath, Household Cleaner, Dish washing Liquid, and Pet Cleaner.... to name a few. if you use this product then you know what i am talking about, if you don't, then i suggest you going out and picking up a bottle... it will make you happy to clean with a Clean Conscience.

to learn more about Dr. Bronner's click here

Herban Body: Cinnamon

one of the great things about public transit is the ability to sit and read without interruption - well, usually. tonight on the way home i was reading our latest issue of Herb Quarterly, and ran across an article: Cinnamon For Diabetes. "20 million Americans have type - 2 Diabetes, which accounts for about 95% of all diabetes". This was alarming to me, especially since i am a type 2 diabetic - Cinnamon helps reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics. if you are a diabetic, like myself, then you should be sprinkling it on everything: Tea, Coffee, Toast, Yogurt, Smoothies, etc. why take the pills when you can enjoy the flavor?

Photos by: Unknown

Herban: Green Tip

some Facts:

1. 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used every year, worldwide.

2. About 1 million plastic bags are used every minute.

3. Every square mile of ocean has about 46,000 pieces of plastic floating in it.

4. The U.S. goes through 100 billion shopping bags annually at an estimated cost to retailers of $4 billion. (the wall street journal)

5. According to Algalita Marine Research Foundation, these plastic bags cause the death of many marine animals (fish, sea turtles, etc.), every year when animals mistake them for food.

You can read more facts on This article.

Photos by: D. Ybarra

Lancaster County: Amish Country

recently we took a trip to Lancaster Pennsylvania to see the countryside, and of course the Amish. going into the trip i had my expectations of a Laura Ingalls Wilder experience - not that she was Amish, or lived in Pennsylvania for that matter - but the wholesome aspect of her life. i remember spotting the first carriage coming over the hill (the picture above) and immediately became mesmerized. the simple idea that everything we do, our day to day activities all developed from a manual way of doing things. i am convinced that the Amish are the gate keepers of green living - although recently read that around 500 Amish farmers are using GMO crops. putting all that aside, i hope you enjoy the pictures,and if given the chance please go and visit.....and have some shoofly pie!

Photos by: D. Ybarra

Organic Butternut Squash Soup

i cannot think of a better First Recipe to our blog than Organic Butternut Squash Soup. i made this soup recently for a friend of ours - and instead of writing it down line for line, i decided to do a photo tutorial.

For this recipe you will need: 2 Butternut Squash, 2 Granny Smith Apples, 1 Lg Onion, 3 Cloves Garlic, Cinnamon, Ground Cloves, Cayenne Pepper, Salt, Nutmeg, 2 Tbs Butter, 4 C. Chicken Broth, 2 C. half & half. i served with a Hot Crusty Bread before our main course.

Step 1: Cut

Butternut Squash in 1/2 lengthwise

Step 2: Remove & Discard Seeds/Pulp with Spoon

Step 3: Lay Squash on Baking Pan face down (i put mine on wax paper),

and Bake for 45 minutes at 350º

Step 4: When finished, Remove Squash from Skins and Place in Bowl.

Be Careful not to Burn Your Fingers!

Step 5: For the Next Step you'll need the Following Ingredients...

Step 6: Mince the Garlic, Dice the Onion, and Chop the Apples (2)

it's important to let the Garlic & Onion Sweat 2 Minutes before cooking

Step 7: Place 2 Tbs of Butter in Dutch oven and Saute Garlic and Onions

till tender on Medium (it's important to cook at a moderate level)

Step 8: Once Onions are Tender, Add Squash & Apples

Step 9: You will need these items for the next steps....

Step 10: Now Add 4 Cups Chicken Broth and stir.

Once Mixed well let simmer till Apples are Tender.

Step 11: i usually Cover Mine, but not fully....

Step 12: Now Add the Following Spices...

They will darken the soup, but no worries it will lighten back up when we add the half & half

Step 13: Now Transfer to Blender in Batches, but make sure to take off the

center cap and cover with a dish towel before blending.

This will help to stop any explosions while pulverizing

Step 14: Transfer back to Pot, and add 2 Cups half & half.

Stir in and simmer till ready to serve... ENJOY!

Photos By: D. Ybarra